UE discovery method and system in D2D network

ABSTRACT

A 5G or pre-5G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate beyond a 4G communication system such as long-term evolution (LTE) is provided, including a method for performing device to device (D2D) discovery by a user equipment (UE), which is out of the coverage area serviced by a base station, in a wireless communication network. The method includes the operations of receiving pre-configuration information for transmitting a discovery message, and transmitting the discovery message in a transmission resource determined on the basis of the pre-configuration information, wherein the pre-configuration information includes a list of pools for transmitting the discovery message, and the transmission resource is determined from the list of pools.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation application of prior application Ser.No. 15/322,663, filed on Dec. 28, 2016, which will issue as U.S. Pat.No. 10,342,019 on Jul. 2, 2019; which is a U.S. National Stageapplication under U.S.C. § 371 of an International application numberPCT/KR2016/001300, filed on Feb. 5, 2016; and which is based on andclaims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of a Korean patent applicationnumber 10-2015-0018739, filed on Feb. 6, 2015, in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the disclosure of each of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to a user equipment (UE) discovery methodand system and, more specifically, to a UE discovery method and systemin a device-to-device (D2D) network.

2. Description of the Related Art

In order to meet wireless data traffic demands that have increased since4th Generation (4G) communication system commercialization, efforts arebeing made to develop an improved fifth-generation (5G) communicationsystem or a pre-5G communication system. For this reason, the 5Gcommunication system or the pre-5G communication system is called abeyond 4G network communication system or a post LTE system.

In order to achieve a high data transmission rate, an implementation ofthe 5G communication system in an mmWave band (for example, 60 GHz band)is being considered. To mitigate the path loss of a radio wave andincrease the transmission distance of a radio wave in the mmWave band,technologies such as beamforming, massive MIMO, Full Dimensional MIMO(FD-MIMO), an array antenna, analog beam-forming, and a large scaleantenna are under discussion for the 5G communication system.

Further, technologies such as an evolved small cell, an advanced smallcell, a cloud Radio Access Network (cloud RAN), an ultra-dense network,Device to Device communication (D2D), a wireless backhaul, a movingnetwork, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), andinterference cancellation have been developed to improve the systemnetwork in the 5G communication system.

In addition, in the 5G system, Advanced Coding Modulation (ACM) schemessuch as Hybrid FSK and QAM Modulation (FQAM) and Sliding WindowSuperposition Coding (SWSC), and advanced access technologies such asFilter Bank Multi Carrier (FBMC), Non Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA),and Sparse Code Multiple Access (SCMA) have been developed.

A description of a general D2D discovery operation scenario is asfollow.

In an LTE system, sidelink transmission (known as Device to Devicetransmission or D2D transmission) may be performed in an uplinkfrequency spectrum (in the case of a frequency division duplex (FDD) oran uplink subframe (in the case of a time division duplex (TDD)).

The sidelink transmission is restricted to a subset of an uplinkresource, i.e., a subset of a subframe in a time domain or a subset of aresource block (RB) in a frequency domain.

The sidelink transmission may provide two types of proximity basedservices (ProSe), i.e., direct discovery and direct communication.

FIG. 1 illustrates a scenario in which UEs inside two neighboring cellsdiscover each other.

In ProSe discovery, mutually neighboring UEs may discover each other. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, a UE-4 100 in a first cell 110 may discover aUE-5 102 in the identical cell as well as a UE-3 104 in a neighboringcell 120.

Each UE may transmit a discovery message by using a discovery resourcein a discovery resource pool configured by a network, and may receive adiscovery message transmitted from another UE in the identical cell or aneighboring cell.

Two types of discovery procedures may be defined according to how aresource is allocated. A first type of discovery procedure is aprocedure in which each UE selects a discovery resource on the basis ofa rule predefined for the each UE. A second type of discovery procedureis a procedure in which a resource for discovery message transmission isallocated to each UE by a base station (eNB).

Synchronization is a prerequisite for the sidelink transmission. Inorder to make synchronization between UEs possible, each eNB mayconfigure some synchronization resources for the transmission ofSidelink Synchronization Signal (SLSS) or a Sidelink SynchronizationSequence (SSS) on a fixed period (e.g. 40 ms) basis, and may configuresome indispensable system information.

Each cell has an SLSS specific to itself, and the SLSS may include aprimary SLSS and a secondary SLSS.

The eNB may instruct a UE to transmit an SLSS, and a UE, which satisfiesa predefined triggering condition, may transmit an SLSS.

The transmitted SLSS may be used to acquire time and frequencysynchronization for sidelink transmission or reception by a UE. Further,SLSS transmission in one cell may allow UEs in a neighboring cell to besynchronized with the one cell so that the UEs discover each other.

System information for sidelink transmission may be derived from aparameter, which is signaled from an eNB, and may be derived from apre-configured parameter.

In the above-described D2D discovery, the following item becomes anissue.

Even when network coverage is not available, for example, at the time ofthe occurrence of network failure, at the time of the occurrence ofattenuation due to a local environment, or at the time of the occurrenceof simple lack of coverage, ProSe discovery maintenance capacity shouldbe guaranteed. In particular, the ProSe discovery maintenance capacityis required to be guaranteed for the purpose of public safety.

FIG. 2 illustrates D2D discovery in an out-of-coverage scenario and apartial coverage scenario.

In FIG. 2, when a network (i.e. eNB 200) is not available, it isrequired to consider a method for enabling discovery betweenout-of-coverage (00C) UEs (e.g. UE-1 202 and UE-2 204) and a method forenabling discovery between an out-of-coverage UE (e.g. UE-3 206) and anin-coverage (IC) UE (e.g. UE-4 212 or UE-5 214) (i.e., partial coveragescenario).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem

Therefore, it is required to design a method, a solution, or a system,which enables ProSe discovery in an out-of-coverage scenario and apartial coverage scenario.

Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a ProSe discoverypre-configuration method, a synchronization procedure, and a method fordiscovery between an in-coverage UE and an out-of-coverage UE and asystem therefor.

Technical Solution

The present disclosure proposes a method for performing a device todevice (D2D) discovery by a user equipment (UE) existing outsidecoverage in which a service is provided by a base station in a wirelesscommunication network, the method including: receiving pre-configurationinformation for the transmission of a discovery message; andtransmitting the discovery message in a transmission resource determinedbased on the pre-configuration information, wherein thepre-configuration information includes a pool list for the discoverymessage transmission and the transmission resource is determined fromthe pool list.

The present disclosure proposes a user equipment (UE) existing outsidethe coverage in which a service is provided by a base station in awireless communication network, the UE including: a controller thatcontrols to receive pre-configuration information for the transmissionof a discovery message and to transmit the discovery message in atransmission resource determined based on the pre-configurationinformation; and a transceiver that receives the pre-configurationinformation by a control of the controller and transmits the discoverymessage, wherein the pre-configuration information includes a pool listfor the discovery message transmission and the transmission resource isdetermined from the pool list.

Further, the present disclosure proposes a method for performing adevice to device (D2D) discovery by a user equipment (UE) in a wirelesscommunication network, the method including: receiving a messageincluding pre-configuration information for D2D discovery messagetransmission; determining to operate as a synchronization reference UEwhen an instruction is received from a base station or a predefinedcondition is satisfied; in a transmission resource determined based onthe pre-configuration information, transmitting a synchronization signalused to acquire time and frequency synchronization and transmittingsystem information including transmission timing information of adiscovery message; and transmitting the discovery message in thetransmission resource determined based on the pre-configurationinformation. Alternatively, the pre-configuration information includesat least one among the number of times of retransmission of a discoverymessage, the number of times of subframe bitmap during one discoveryperiod, and information indicating a discovery offset. Alternatively,the predefined condition is determined by a combination of at least oneof whether the UE is inside network coverage and whether a referencesignal received power (RSRP) of a received synchronization signal isless than a threshold value included in the pre-configurationinformation. Alternatively, the UE is an in-coverage UE or anout-of-coverage UE. Alternatively, the method further includes receivingconfiguration information of a resource pool, which is to be used forthe transmission of the synchronization signal, the system information,and the discovery message, through a system information block (SIB) 19.Alternatively, the method further includes reporting, when a secondsynchronization signal is received from an out-of-coverage UE, thereception of the second synchronization signal to the base station.Alternatively, the method further includes: receiving, from the basestation, reconfiguration information of a resource pool to be used forthe transmission of the synchronization signal, the system signal, andthe discovery message; and transmitting at least one of thesynchronization signal, the system signal, and the discovery message byusing a resource pool determined based on the reconfigurationinformation. Alternatively, when a synchronization reference UE, whichthe UE has, is an in-coverage UE, an ID of the transmittedsynchronization signal is configured to be identical to an ID of asynchronization signal of the synchronization reference UE.Alternatively, when a synchronization reference UE, which the UE has, isnot an in-coverage UE, an ID of the transmitted synchronization signalis selected from a synchronization signal ID set for an out-of-coveragecase.

Further, the present disclosure proposes a user equipment (UE) forperforming a device to device (D2D) discovery in a wirelesscommunication network, the UE including: a controller that controls toreceive a message including pre-configuration information for D2Ddiscovery message transmission, determine to operate as asynchronization reference UE when an instruction is received from a basestation or a pre-defined condition is satisfied, transmit asynchronization signal used to acquire time and frequencysynchronization in a transmission resource determined based on thepre-configuration information, transmit system information includingtransmission timing information of a discovery message, and transmit thediscovery message in the transmission resource determined based on thepre-configuration information; and a transceiver that transmits orreceives the message, the instruction, the synchronization signal, thesystem information, and the discovery message by a control of thecontroller. Alternatively, the pre-configuration information includes atleast one of the number of times of retransmission of a discoverymessage, the number of times of subframe bitmap during one discoveryperiod, and information indicating a discovery offset. Alternatively,the predefined condition is determined by a combination of at least oneof whether the UE is inside network coverage and whether a referencesignal received power (RSRP) of a received synchronization signal isless than a threshold value included in the pre-configurationinformation. Alternatively, the UE is an in-coverage UE or anout-of-coverage UE. Alternatively, the controller is configured toreceive configuration information of a resource pool, which is to beused for the transmission of the synchronization signal, the systemsignal, and the discovery message, through a system information block(SIB) 19. Alternatively, the controller further performs reporting, whena second synchronization signal is received from an out-of-coverage UE,the reception of the second synchronization signal to the base station.Alternatively, the controller is configured to: receive, from the basestation, reconfiguration information of a resource pool to be used forthe transmission of the synchronization signal, the system signal, andthe discovery message; and transmit at least one of the synchronizationsignal, the system signal, and the discovery message by using a resourcepool determined based on the reconfiguration information. Alternatively,when a synchronization reference UE, which the UE has, is an in-coverageUE, an ID of the transmitted synchronization signal is configured to beidentical to an ID of a synchronization signal of the synchronizationreference UE. Alternatively, when a synchronization reference UE, whichthe UE has, is not an in-coverage UE, an ID of the transmittedsynchronization signal is selected from a synchronization signal ID setfor an out-of-coverage case.

Advantageous Effects

The present disclosure can significantly increase the success rate ofdiscovery between UEs in a partial coverage scenario in which anin-coverage UE and an out-of-coverage UE coexist.

The present disclosure provides a concrete method for synchronizationwhich a UE should perform in advance for discovery, and thereforeenables the UE to have a synchronization reference UE, which increasesthe success rate of discovery of the UE, and to better receive systeminformation a signal required for the synchronization from thesynchronization reference UE.

The present disclosure allows an out-of-coverage UE to successfullydiscover an in-coverage UE.

Further, the present disclosure can provide a detailed content relatedto parameters which should be reflected in a standard for a discoveryoperation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a scenario in which UEs inside two neighboring cellsdiscover each other;

FIG. 2 illustrates D2D discovery in an out-of-coverage coverage and apartial coverage scenario;

FIG. 3A illustrates sidelink synchronization resource allocation for anin-coverage operation according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B illustrates sidelink synchronization resource allocation for anout-of-coverage operation according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates the use of a symbol in a D2D synchronization resourceaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrate D2D discovery synchronization in an out-of-coveragescenario and a partial coverage scenario according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a SyncRef UE initialization procedureof a UE that performs a discovery according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for SLSS selection andsynchronization subframe selection;

FIG. 8 illustrates the selection of an SLSSID in a partial coveragescenario according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates the selection of a synchronization subframe in apartial coverage scenario according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 10A illustrates a subframe bitmap of an in-coverage resource pool;

FIG. 10B illustrates a subframe bitmap of an out-of-coverage resourcepool;

FIG. 11A illustrates a resource in the case of repeating discoverytransmission two times in the present disclosure;

FIG. 11B illustrates a resource in the case of repeating discoverytransmission four times in the present disclosure;

FIG. 12A illustrates a resource pool for an in-coverage case requiredwhen an in-coverage UE and an out-of-coverage UE discover each otheraccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 12B illustrates a resource pool for an out-of-coverage caserequired when an in-coverage UE and an out-of-coverage UE discover eachother according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 illustrates a scenario of an out-of-coverage signal discoveryreport by an in-coverage UE according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 illustrates a discovery procedure between an in-coverage UE andan out-of-coverage UE, based on an out-of-coverage signal discoveryreport by the in-coverage UE, in the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 illustrates a configuration of a UE device according to thepresent disclosure; and

FIG. 16 illustrates a configuration of an eNB device according to thepresent disclosure.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the followingdescription of the present disclosure, a detailed description of knownconfigurations or functions incorporated herein will be omitted when itis determined that the detailed description may make the subject matterof the present disclosure unclear. The terms as described below aredefined in consideration of the functions in the embodiments, and themeaning of the terms may vary according to the intention of a user oroperator, convention, or the like. Therefore, the definitions of theterms should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

In the detailed description of the present disclosure, an example ofinterpretable meanings of some terms used in the present disclosure isproposed. However, it is noted that the terms are not limited to theexamples of the construable meanings which are proposed below.

A base station is a subject communicating with a User Equipment (UE),and may be referred to as a BS, a Node B (NB), an eNode B (eNB), anAccess Point (AP), or the like.

The user equipment is a subject communicating with the base station, andmay be referred to as a UE, a Mobile Station (MS), a Mobile Equipment(ME), a device, a terminal, or the like.

Direct discovery and direct communication, which are examples of ProSe,refer to discovery and communication, which are directly performedbetween UEs, respectively, and may be referred, hereinafter, to as“discovery” and “sidelink (sl) communication”, respectively.

The in-coverage refers to “in the coverage of available eNB 210”, andthe partial coverage refers to a case where an in-coverage UE and anout-of-coverage UE coexist.

A. Pre-Configuration Method for ProSe Discovery

In order to allow a UE to perform a ProSe operation when the UE isoutside a network coverage, the UE may be pre-configured to perform theProSe operation, and the pre-configuration may be referred to as“ProsePreconfiguration”.

The ProsePreconfiguration may be pre-configured in a UniversalIntegrated Circuit Card (UICC) (common IC card) or a mobile equipment(ME).

The ProsePreconfiguration may include at least one of configurations inTable 1, as described in 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP)technical specification (TS) 36.331.

TABLE 1 - ProsePreconfigGeneral ∘ carrierFreq, freqBandIndicator,maxTxPower, additionalSpectrumEmission, sl-bandwidth,tdd-SubframeAssignment, reserved - ProsePreconfigSync ∘ Sync-CP-Len,sync-OffsetIndicator1, sync-OffsetIndicator2, sync- TxParameters,syncTxThreshOoC, filterCoefficient - ProsePreconfigComm ∘ProsePreconfigCommPoolList ⋄ sc-CP-Len, sc-Period, sc-TF-ResourceConfig,dataHoppingConfig, dataTxParameters, trpt-Subset

In order to enable ProSe discovery when a UE is outside networkcoverage, “ProsePreconfigDisc”, which is a ProSe discovery-relatedpre-configuration, may be added to ProsePreconfiguration. TheProsePreconfigDisc may include “ProsePreconfigDiscPoolList”, which is alist of individual resource pools for discovery, as in Table 2.

TABLE 2 - ProsePreconfigDiscPoolList ∘ cp-Len (cyclic prefix (CP)length) ∘ period (discovery period, {32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024} radioframe ∘ numRetx (Number of times of retransmission of discovery message,{0, 1, 2, 3}) ∘ numRepetition (Number of times of occurrence ofdiscoverySubframeBitmap, {1, ...., 50}) ∘ tf-ResourceConfig ⋄ Indicatediscovery offset (related to system frame number SFN#0), use resource intime domain (discoverySubframeBitmap), use resource in frequency domain(e.g. PRB start index, PRB end index, number of PRBs, etc.) ∘tx-Parameters ⋄ Prose-TxParameters ⋄ poolSelectionConfig (select pool,based on RSRP or randomly) ⋄ tx-Probability

When a UE is outside network coverage, the UE may use at least apre-configured resource pool in order to discover another UE.

In order to perform discovery when some UEs are inside coverage andother UEs are outside coverage, in relation to all UEs (i.e. all ofin-coverage and out-of-coverage UEs), a resource pool for discoveryshould be configured, and the resource pool may be a union of a resourcepool for discovery transmission/reception in a neighboring cell and aresource pool for out-of-coverage discovery transmission.

It should be noted that the ProsePreconfigSync included inProsePreconfiguration may be commonly used for a sidelink communicationand a discovery.

For example, parameters of a synchronization resource within theProsePreconfigSync, i.e., sync-OffsetIndicator1 andsync-OffsetIndicator2, may be different from each other with respect tosidelink communication and discovery. Alternatively,sync-OffsetIndicator1 may be common to the sidelink communication andthe discovery, but sync-OffsetIndicator2 may be different with respectto the sidelink communication and the discovery.

Further, syncTxThreshOoC within the ProsePreconfigSync may be differentwith respect to the sidelink communication and the discovery. This meansthat there may be syncTxThreshOoCComm and syncTxThreshOoCDisc for eachof sidelink communication and discovery in an out-of-coverage scenario.

A particular synchronization parameter for the sidelink communicationand the discovery allows synchronization between UEs, which communicatewith each other, or synchronization between UEs, which discover eachother, to be performed in a more efficient scheme.

B. Synchronization Procedure Between UEs for Performing Discovery

The purpose of a synchronization procedure is to provide synchronizationinformation to a UE outside network coverage.

The synchronization information is provided by a UE operating as asynchronization reference (hereinafter, referred to as “SyncRef UE” or“synchronization reference UE”) and may be transmitted in asynchronization resource configured by a network or in a pre-configuredsynchronization resource.

The SyncRef UE (synchronization reference UE) may transmit not only SLSSbut also sidelink system information known as Master Information Blockfor Sidelink (MIB-SL). The MIB-SL may include a timing information andat least one addition configuration parameter which enables systeminformation to be transmitted to an out-of-coverage UE.

When a UE is inside network coverage, the content of the MIB-SL may bederived from a parameter which is signaled by an eNB.

When a UE is outside coverage and the UE selects another UE as asynchronization reference, the content of the MIB-SL may be derived fromthe received MIB-SL (i.e., parameter included in the MIB-SL). Otherwise,i.e. if there is no synchronization reference UE which has been selectedby the out-of-coverage UE, the out-of-coverage UE may use apre-configured parameter.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate examples of sidelink synchronizationresources for in-coverage and out-of-coverage operations according tothe present disclosure.

An example of synchronization resource allocation for the in-coverageoperation is illustrated in FIG. 3A and an example for theout-of-coverage operation is illustrated in FIG. 3B.

In the in-coverage operation of FIG. 3A, there is one synchronizationresource unit 300 every 40 ms. Information for the transmission of anSLSS and an MIB-SL may be provided by System Information Block Type 19(SIB19).

In the out-of-coverage operation of FIG. 3B, there are twopre-configured synchronization resource units 310 and 312 every 40 ms.When a UE becomes a SyncRef UE, the UE receives an SLSS and an MIB-SL inone synchronization resource unit (e.g. 310), and transmits an SLSS andan MIB-SL in another synchronization resource unit (e.g. 312).

When an out-of-coverage UE discovers SLSS/MIB-SL from an in-coverageSyncRefUE and derives timing information, one (e.g. 312) ofsynchronization resource units for an out-of-coverage operation may bealigned with a synchronization resource unit for an in-coverageoperation. Therefore, the aligned synchronization resource unit for theout-of-coverage operation may enable synchronization of the in-coverageand out-of-coverage UEs.

One synchronization resource unit may occupy one subframe in a timedomain, and occupy six central resource blocks (RBs) in a frequencydomain.

FIG. 4 illustrates the use of a symbol in a D2D synchronization resourceaccording to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a normal CP case and an extended CP case.

During one synchronization resource unit occupying one subframe, aprimary SLSS 400 may occupy two adjacent symbols, a secondary SLSS 402may also occupy two adjacent symbols, and a last symbol may be used as agap symbol 406. The remaining symbols may be used for MIB-SLtransmission, and two of the remaining symbols may become a DMRS symbol404. The DMRS symbol 404 is used in Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS)transmission which assists channel measurement and data decoding.

1) SyncRef UE Initialization

FIG. 5 illustrate D2D discovery synchronization in an out-of-coveragescenario and a partial coverage scenario according to the presentdisclosure.

With respect to in-coverage UEs, an eNB 500 may instruct one UE tobecome a SyncRef UE and to transmit an SLSS. For example, the eNB mayconfigure syncSourceControl, which is a synchronization referenceindication parameter, for the SyncRef UE.

Alternatively, a threshold value of Reference Signal Received Power(RSRP) may be used in triggering SLSS transmission.

In other words, when the RSRP of a UE is less than a pre-configuredthreshold value (e.g. syncTxThreshIC), the UE may be become a SyncRef UEwhich will transmit an SLSS, because the UE is bound to be positioned ata cell edge.

In relation to FIG. 5, for an example, a UE-4 502 may be instructed tobecome a SyncRef UE by the eNB 500, and a UE-5 504 may also be triggeredby a RSRP threshold value condition so as to become a SyncRef UE.

With respect to an out-of-coverage UE, an RSRP threshold value may besimilarly defined so as to trigger SLSS transmission.

When the RSRP of a UE is less than a pre-configured threshold value(e.g. syncTxThreshOoC), the UE may transmit an SLSS. The syncTxThreshOoCmay be included in the pre-configured ProSe parameters (e.g.ProsePreconfiguration).

In relation to FIG. 5, for an example, each of an out-of-coverage UE-1510 and an out-of-coverage UE-3 512 may become a SyncRef UE triggered bya RSRP threshold value condition.

Therefore, when a direct discovery announcement is transmitted andconditions in Table 3 are satisfied, a UE capable of performing SLSStransmission may transmit an SLSS and an MIB-SL in a synchronizationresource according to a predetermined rule.

TABLE 3 - When a cell used in direct discovery transmission is proper,or the cell used in direct discovery transmission satisfies S-criteria(defined in 3GPP TS 36.304) and conditions for supporting directdiscovery in a limited service state (defined in 3GPP 23.303): ∘ whensyncSourceControl is configured and a value is configured as TRUE; or ∘when syncSourceControl is not configured; syncTxThreshIC is included inSIB19; and RSRP measurement result of a cell used to transmit ProSedirect discovery announcement is less than a syncTxThreshIC value: -Otherwise (i.e. out-of-coverage) ∘ syncTxThreshOoC is included inProsePreconfiguration, and the RSRP measurement of all SLSSs, which havebeen discovered by the UE, is less than a syncTxThreshOoC value.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a SyncRef UE initialization procedureof a UE that performs discovery according to the present disclosure.

A UE prepares direct discovery transmission (operation 600).

The UE checks whether the UE is inside network coverage (operation 605).

As a result of the checking (operation 605), when the UE is inside thecoverage of a cell, the UE checks whether the UE has been instructed tooperate as a SyncRef UE by an eNB (operation 610).

As a result of the checking (operation 610), when the UE has beeninstructed to operate as the SyncRef UE, the UE transmits an SLSS and anMIB-SL in a synchronization resource while operating as the SyncRef UE(operation 625). As a result of the checking (operation 610), when theUE has not been instructed to operate as the SyncRef UE, the UE checkswhether syncTxThreshIC is included in SIB19 and the RSRP measurementresult of the cell is less than the syncTxThreshIC (operation 620).

As a result of the checking (operation 620), the RSRP measurement resultof the cell is not less than the syncTXThreshIC, the UE does not operateas the SyncRef UE (operation 630).

As a result of the checking (operation 605), when the UE is not insidethe coverage of the cell, the UE checks whether the RSRP measurementresults of all discovered SLSSs are less than syncTxThreshOoC (operation615).

As a result of the checking (operation 615), when the RSRP measurementresults of all discovered SLSSs are less than the syncTxThreshOoC, theUE may transmit an SLSS and an MIB-SL in a synchronization resourcewhile operating as the SyncRef UE (operation 625). As a result of thechecking (operation 615), when the RSRP measurement results of alldiscovered SLSSs are not less than the syncTxThreshOoC, it may bedetermined that the UE does not operate as the SyncRef UE (operation630).

As described above, when syncTxThreshOoC included inProsePreconfiguration is commonly configured with respect to sidelinkcommunication and discovery, the parameter syncTxThreshOoC may bedirectly used for the discovery.

Alternatively, the syncTxThreshOoC may be differently configured withrespect to the sidelink communication and the discovery. In this case,syncTxThreshOoC specific to the discovery will be used for anout-of-coverage discovery UE.

2) SLSS Transmission

For sidelink transmission, there are two sets of SLSSs, i.e., SLSS_netincluding identifiers (or identities) {0, 1, . . . , 167} and SLSS_oonincluding identifiers {168, 169, . . . , 335}.

An SLSS transmitted by an in-coverage UE is within the SLSS_net andindicated by an eNB, and an SLSS transmitted by an out-of-coverage UE isselected from the SLSS_oon.

When an SLSS is discovered from the SLSS_net, the out-of-coverage UE maytransmit the discovered SLSS, provided that a pre-defined reference issatisfied.

The UE may select an SLSS and a synchronization resource unit subframeas in Table 4.

TABLE 4 - When a cell used in the transmission of ProSe direct discoveryannouncement is proper, or the cell used in ProSe direct discoverytransmission satisfies S-criteria (as defined in 3GPP TS 36.304) andconditions for supporting ProSe direct discovery in a limited servicestate (as defined in 3GPP 23.303): ∘ Select an SLSSID included indiscSynConfig which is an entry included in a received SIB19; ∘ Select asubframe in which the SLSS is transmitted according tosync-OffsetIndicator included in the entry discSynConfig used inselecting the SLSS; - Otherwise (i.e. out-of-coverage) ∘ When a UE has aselected SynRef UE, and inCoverage in an MIB-SL received from the SynRefUE is configured as TRUE: ⋄ Select the same SLSSID as an SLSSID of theselected SynRef UE; ⋄ Select a subframe in which the SLSS is to betransmitted according to sync- OffsetIndicator1 or sync-OffsetIndicator2included in pre-configured ProSe parameters, so that subframe timing isdifferent from an SLSS of the selected SynRef UE; ∘ However, when the UEhas a selected SynRef UE, inCoverage in an MIB-SL received from theSynRef UE is configured as FALSE, and an SLSS from the SynRef UE is onesubset of a set of SLSSs, defined for an in-coveage case: ⋄ Select anSLSSID, which has an index larger by 168 than an index of SLSSIDs of theselected SynRef UE, from a set which is defined for an out-of-coveragecase; ⋄ Select a subframe in which the SLSS is to be transmittedaccording to sync- OffsetIndicator1 or sync-OffsetIndicator2 included inpre-configured ProSe parameters, so that subframe timing is differentfrom an SLSS of the selected SynRef UE; ∘ However, if the UE has aselected SynRef UE, inCoverage in an MIB-SL received from the SynRef UEis configured as FALSE, and an SLSS from the SynRef UE is one subset ofa set of SLSSs, defined for an out-of-coverage case: ⋄ Select the sameSLSSID as an SLSSID of the selected SynRef UE; ⋄ Select a subframe inwhich the SLSS is to be transmitted according to sync- OffsetIndicator1or sync-OffsetIndicator2 included in pre-configured ProSe parameters, sothat subframe timing is different from an SLSS of the selected SynRefUE; ∘ Otherwise (i.e. not select SynRef UE) ⋄ Randomly select an SLSSIDfrom a set of sequences defined for an out-of-coverage case ⋄ Select asubframe in which the SLSS is to be transmitted according to sync-OffsetIndicator1 or sync-OffsetIndicator2 included in pre-configuredProSe parameters;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for SLSSID selection andsynchronization subframe selection.

A UE operates as a SyncRef UE (operation 700).

The UE checks whether the UE is inside network coverage (operation 702).

As a result of the checking (operation 702), when the UE is inside thecoverage, the UE selects an SLSSID included in a received SIB19 as an IDof an SLSS to be transmitted (operation 730). Further, the UE may selecta subframe according to sync-OffsetIndicator included in the SIB19(operation 732). The UE transmits an SLSS by using the selected SLSSIDin the selected subframe (operation 740).

As a result of the checking (operation 702), when the UE is not insidethe coverage, the UE checks whether there is a SyncRef UE which the UEhas selected as a synchronization reference (operation 704).

As a result of the checking (operation 704), when there is a SyncRef UEselected as the synchronization reference, the UE checks whether theselected SyncRef UE is inside the coverage (operation 706).

As a result of the checking (operation 706), when the selected SyncRefUE is inside the coverage (e.g. when inCoverage within an MIB-SLreceived from the SyncRef UE is TRUE), the UE selects the same SLSSID asan SLSSID of the selected SyncRef UE (operation 720). Further, the UEselects a subframe according to sync-OffsetIndicator1 orsync-OffsetIndicator2 included in pre-configured ProSe parameters(operation 724). Therefore, in this case, the subframe, which has beenselected by the UE, becomes different from an SLSS of the selectedSyncRef UE. The UE transmits an SLSS by using the selected SLSSID in theselected subframe (operation 740).

As a result of the checking (operation 706), when the selected SyncRefUE is not inside the coverage (e.g. when inCoverage within an MIB-SLreceived from the SyncRef UE is FALSE), the UE checks whether an SLSSIDused by the selected SyncRef UE is included in an SLSSID set for anin-coverage case (operation 708).

As a result of the checking (operation 708), when the SLSSID used by theselected SyncRef UE is not included in the SLSSID set for thein-coverage case, the UE selects the same SLSSID as an SLSSID of theselected SyncRef UE (operation 720). Further, the UE may select asubframe through operation 724 and transmit an SLSS as in operation 740.

As a result of the checking (operation 708), when the SLSSID used by theselected SyncRef UE is included in the SLSSID set for the in-coveragecase, the UE selects an SLSSID, which has an index larger by 168 than anindex of an SLSSID of the selected SyncRef UE, from a set defined for anout-of-coverage case (operation 722). Further, the UE may select asubframe through operation 724 and transmit an SLSS as in operation 740.

Meanwhile, as a result of the checking (operation 704), when there is noSyncRef UE which the UE has selected, the UE randomly selects an SLSSIDfrom an SLSSID set defined for the out-of-coverage case (operation 710).Further, the UE selects a subframe according to sync-OffsetIndicator1 orsync-OffsetIndicator2 included in pre-configured ProSe parameters(operation 712). The UE transmits an SLSS by using the selected SLSSIDin the selected subframe (operation 740).

FIG. 8 illustrates the selection of an SLSSID in a partial coveragescenario according to the present disclosure.

An in-coverage UE-1 800 may transmit an SLSS, a SLSSID value of which is100.

An out-of-coverage UE-2 802 has the in-coverage UE-1 800 as a SyncRefUE, and may select, as a SLSSID, the same value as that of an SLSSID ofthe UE-1 800 and transmit an SLSS.

An out-of-coverage UE-3 804 has the out-of-coverage UE-2 802 as aSyncRef UE, and, since an SLSSID of the UE-2 802 is included in anSLSSID set for an in-coverage case, the UE-3 804 may select, as anSLSSID, 268 which is larger by 168 than the SLSSID of the UE-2 802, andtransmit an SLSS.

FIG. 9 illustrates the selection of a synchronization subframe in apartial coverage scenario according to the present disclosure.

sync-OffsetIndicator1 900 or 902 and sync-OffsetIndicator2 904 includedin ProsePreconfiguration is offset information which specifies thelocation of a synchronization subframe from a direct SubFrame Number(SFN) or a Direct Frame Number (DFN). Subframes 910, 912, and 914indicate subframes which can be used by the UE-1 800, the UE-2 802, andthe UE-3 804, respectively.

As described above, when the sync-OffsetIndicator1 900 or 902 andsync-OffsetIndicator2 904, which are parameters included in theProsePreconfiguration, is commonly configured with respect to sidelinkcommunication and discovery, the parameters may be directly used fordiscovery of the in-coverage UE-1 800 or the out-of-coverage UE-2 802and the out-of-coverage UE-3 804. However, sync-OffsetIndicator1 andsync-OffsetIndicator2 specific to discovery may be configured, andparameters specific to the discovery may be used for the out-of-coveragediscovery UE-2 802 and UE-3 804.

3) MIB-SL Transmission

MIB-SL transmission by a SyncRef UE may include timing information andat least one of the additional configuration parameters exemplified inTable 5.

TABLE 5 - Sidelink bandwidth (sl-Bandwidth) - Configure TDD(tdd-SubframeAssignment) ∘ FDD or TDD, together with configurationindex - Sidelink transmission timing information ∘ directFrameNumber(10bits) ∘ directSubframeNumber (4bits) - Indicate coverage (inCoverage)∘ Indicate whether SynRef UE is in coverage or out of coverage -Reserved synchronization information (sync-InfoReserved) ∘ Configured bynetwork

A UE may configure contents of an MIB-SL message according to conditionsexemplified in Table 6.

TABLE 6 - When a cell used in the transmission of ProSe direct discoveryannouncement (as defined in 3GPP TS 36.304) is proper, or the cell usedin ProSe direct discovery transmission satisfies S-criteria (defined in3GPP TS 36.304) and conditions for supporting ProSe direct discovery ina limited service state (as defined in 3GPP 23.303): ∘ ConfigureinCoveage as TRUE; ∘ Configure sl-Bandwidth by a ul-Bandwidth valueincluded in a received SIB2 of a cell used for ProSe direct discovery ∘When tdd-Config is included in a received SIB1: ⋄ Configure a value oftdd-SubframeAssignment by a value indicating the same meaning as that oftdd-SubframeAssingment included in tdd-Config within the received SIB1 ∘Otherwise: ⋄ Configure the value of tdd-SubframeAssingment as none; ∘When sync-InfoReserved is included in discSyncConfig which is an entryof the received SIB19: ⋄ Configure the value of sync-InfoReserved by avalue of sync-InfoReserved within the received SIB19; ∘ Otherwise: ⋄Configure all bits of sync-InfoReserved as zero ∘ Otherwise (i.e.out-of-coverage) ∘ When a UE has a selected SynRef UE: ⋄ Configure avalue of inCoverage as FALSE; ⋄ Configure values of sl-Bandwidth,tdd-SubframeAssignment, and reserved by corresponding field valuesincluded in the received MIB-SL ∘ Otherwise: ⋄ Configure a value ofinCoverage as FALSE; ⋄ Configure values of sl-Bandwidth,tdd-SubframeAssignment, and reserved by corresponding field valuesincluded in pre-configured ProSe parameters; - ConfiguredirectFrameNumber and directSubfrmaeNumber by a value corresponding tosubframe used for SLSS transmission; - When the above procedure ends,submit an MIB-SL message to a lower layer for transmission;

It should be noted that DMRSs for sidelink communication and discoverymay be different. The DMRSs different according to the sidelinkcommunication and the discovery allows an out-of-coverage UE to easilyknow whether an MIB-SL has been transmitted from a discovery UE or hasbeen transmitted from a sidelink communication UE.

4) SyncRef UE Selection

A procedure exemplified in Table 7 may be applied to the SyncRef UEselection of a UE.

TABLE 7 - When there is no cell, which satisfies S-criteria (as definedin 3GPP TS 36.304), among frequencies used for ProSe direct discovery: ∘Carry out full search (i.e. search for all subframes and all availableSLSS IDs) for discovering an SLSS ∘ When an L3-filtered (e.g. filteringusing a coefficient in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer) RSRPmeasurement result is equal to or higher than syncTxThreshOoC includedin pre-configured ProSe parameters and a UE receives multiple SLSSscorresponding to a MIB-SL message (received from a candidate SynRef UE),the UE selects a SynRef UE according to the following priorities: ⋄ 1)UEs having inCoverage which is included in the received MIB-SL and isconfigured as TRUE, start from a UE having the highest RSRP result ⋄ 2)UEs having an SLSS which is one subset of an SLSS set defined for an in-coverage case, start from a UE having the highest RSRP result ⋄ 3) otherUEs, start from a UE having the highest RSRP resultC. Discovery Method1) Discovery Between Out-of-Coverage UEs

When there is no signal which is discovered from an in-coverage UE,out-of-network coverage UEs may discover each other in a pre-configuredresource pool.

2) Discovery Between Out-of-Coverage UE and in-Coverage UE

When an out-of-coverage UE discovers a signal from an in-coverage UE, itis desirable that the out-of-coverage UE and the in-coverage UE discovereach other. However, when there is a mismatch between apre-configuration for an out-of-coverage case and a configuration for anin-coverage case, there will be problems in discovering the in-coverageUE by the out-of-coverage UE and vice versa.

First, when there is a mismatch between resource pool configurations(e.g. a subframe bitmap within a resource pool or an index of RB usedwithin a resource pool), UEs have difficulty in discovering each other.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate examples of a subframe bitmap mismatchbetween an in-coverage resource pool and an out-of-coverage resourcepool.

FIG. 10A illustrate an in-coverage resource pool, and FIG. 10Billustrates an out-of-coverage resource pool. Referring to FIGS. 10A and10B, it can be understood that the arrangement of subframes indicated by“1” (i.e. subframes 1000 indicated by “D” in FIG. 10) is differentbetween the in-coverage resource pool (FIG. 10A) and the out-of-coverageresource pool (FIG. 10B). In other words, subframe bitmaps are differentbetween an in-coverage configuration and an out-of-coverageconfiguration, thereby causing a subframe mismatch in the entireresource pool. The subframe bitmap may be configured by “1” which meansthat an allocation is made for a discovery and “0” which means that anallocation is not made.

In addition, an RB configuration within a frequency domain may also bedifferent between the in-coverage resource pool and the out-of-coverageresource pool. Therefore, even when the timing of the out-of-coverage UEis synchronized with the in-coverage (i.e. cell network), discoveryfailure due to a mismatch between resources (i.e. subframes or RBs) mayoccur.

Second, a mismatch between configurations of transmission parameters forthe out-of-coverage case and the in-coverage case may also cause aproblem when UEs discover each other.

For example, the number of times of discovery message repetition isconfigured by an eNB in the in-coverage case and is pre-configured inthe out-of-coverage case. The number of times of repetition influences aresource used to transmit one discovery message.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrates examples of resources in the case ofperforming discovery transmission by the different number of times ofrepetition (two or four) in the present disclosure.

FIG. 11A illustrates a resource pool in the case of repeating discoverytransmission two times and FIG. 11B illustrates a resource pool in thecase of repeating discovery transmission four times.

In FIGS. 11A and 11B, unit discovery resources indicated by an identicalindex indicate identical discovery message resources. One discoverymessage occupies one subframe in a time domain and occupies two RBs in afrequency domain. In FIG. 11, for the convenience of understanding, 1subframe*2 RBs has been expressed as one unit resource (i.e. unittetragon).

One discovery message, repetition of which is made n times, istransmitted inn adjacent subframe(s), and frequency hopping may also bedifferent with respect to the different numbers of times of repetition.For example, unit resources 1100 and 1102, which are expressed as “0” inFIG. 11A, indicate resources used in repeating the transmission of onediscovery message two times, respectively. Further, unit resources 1110,1112, 1114, and 1116, which are expressed as “0” in FIG. 11B, indicateresources used in repeating the transmission of one discovery messagefour times, respectively. Therefore, even though in the same resourcepool, the different numbers of times of repetition may cause a problemin receiving a discovery message.

An operation of the out-of-coverage UE may vary depending on a methodfor configuring an in-coverage resource pool by an eNB. Hereinafter,solutions which enable discovery between an in-coverage UE and anout-of-coverage UE will be proposed, and an operation of thecorresponding UE will be described. It is assumed that theout-of-coverage UE and the in-coverage UE have discoveredsynchronization signals from each other and have been synchronized witheach other. The in-coverage UE and the out-of-coverage UE desire todiscover each other.

A first solution is to perform a configuration for an in-coverage casewithout considering a pre-configuration for out-of-coverage by an eNB.

The first solution is motivated by the desire to provide fullflexibility to the eNB in configuring an in-coverage resource pool andparameters related thereto. For an out-of-coverage scenario does notfrequently occur. The in-coverage resource pool configured by the eNBmay or may not overlap a pre-configured resource pool for anout-of-coverage case. In this case, the out-of-coverage UE may discoverthe in-coverage UE, or, conversely, the in-coverage UE may not discoverthe out-of-coverage UE.

In this case, the out-of-coverage UE may be required to perform a blinddiscovery with respect to all discovery messages. It may not be possiblefor the out-of-coverage UE to combine repeated transmission of the samediscovery message, because the out-of-coverage UE has no informationrelated to configuration of an accurate resource pool and acorresponding transmission parameter for an in-coverage case. Similarly,the in-coverage UE may also attempt a blind discovery with respect todiscovery messages from the out-of-coverage UE.

A second solution is to perform, by an eNB, a configuration for anin-coverage case in consideration of a pre-configuration for anout-of-coverage case.

The second solution is motivated by the desire to assign priority toconsidering an out-of-coverage scenario support because anout-of-coverage discovery is very important for some cases, such aspublic safety. There may be several options in a configuration for anin-coverage operation.

Option 1) an eNB performs a configuration for an in-coverage resourcepool and transmission parameter, which is identical to apre-configuration for an out-of-coverage operation.

Option 2) An eNB configures a subset of a pre-configured resource poolfor an out-of-coverage case with respect to an in-coverage operation.For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12, a subframe bitmap identical tothat of a pre-configuration for an out-of-coverage operation may be usedin an in-coverage case, but a smaller number of times of bitmapreception may be used in the in-coverage case.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a resource when a subset of apre-configured resource for out-of-coverage is configured with respectto an in-coverage operation according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 12A illustrates a resource pool for an in-coverage case, and FIG.12B illustrates a resource pool for an out-of-coverage case. For theout-of-coverage case, three or more subframe bitmaps 1210, 1212, and1214 are used. However, for the in-coverage case, only two subframebitmaps 1200 and 1202 are used. In other words, a subset of a resourcepool for out-of-coverage is used for an in-coverage operation.

In option 1, the resource pool for an in-coverage case, which isconfigured by the eNB, is accurately identical to the resource pool foran out-of-coverage case. When an identical transmission parameter isconfigured, an in-coverage UE and an out-of-coverage UE can discovereach other without any problem.

In option 2, when an identical transmission parameter is configured, thein-coverage UE and the out-of-coverage UE may discover each other for atleast a period of time of an in-coverage resource pool.

Compared with option 1, option 2 has more flexibility because an eNB canconfigure a period of time of a resource pool for an in-coverage case(i.e. the number of times of applied bitmap) in consideration of thetraffic load state of the in-coverage UE. When a resource required forthe in-coverage UE has a much smaller size than that of a pre-configuredresource pool for an out-of-coverage case, option 1 may cause thewasteful use of resources. Therefore, in this case, option 2 may be amore efficient approach method.

A third solution is to perform, by an eNB, a configuration for anin-coverage case on the basis of a UE report.

A motive of the third solution is to perform a configurationevent-triggered as needed.

For example, when an in-coverage UE discovers a signal (e.g. SLSS) of anout-of-coverage UE, the in-coverage UE may report the discovered signalto the eNB. After receiving the report from the in-coverage UE, the eNBmay know that the UE is outside network coverage. When the currentconfiguration for the in-coverage case does not match an out-of-coveragepre-configuration, the eNB may reconfigure the in-coverage resourcepool. In other words, when the report relating to the out-of-coveragesignal discovery is not received, the eNB may perform a configurationfor an in-coverage case by the first solution. Further, when the reportrelating to the out-of-coverage signal discovery is received, the eNBmay reconfigure the in-coverage resource pool on the basis of the secondsolution.

FIG. 13 illustrates a scenario of an out-of-coverage signal discoveryreport by an in-coverage UE according to the present disclosure.

In relation to FIG. 13, for example, the UE-1 800 can discover an SLSS1300 from the UE-2 802 because the UE-1 800 and the UE-2 802 transmit,as illustrated in FIG. 9, an SLSS in different synchronization subframes910 and 912, respectively and thus a collision between transmissionresources does not occur. The UE-1 800 may report discovery of anout-of-coverage SLSS to an eNB 1310 (operation 1302). The eNB 1310,which has received the report (operation 1302), may check whether aconfiguration for an in-coverage case is performed again when the reportdoes not match a pre-configuration for an out-of-coverage case. Afterthe in-coverage re-configuration, the in-coverage UE 800 and theout-of-coverage UE (e.g. UE-3 804) may successfully discover each other.

An example of a procedure corresponding to the third solution will bedescribed in FIG. 14.

FIG. 14 illustrates a discovery procedure between an in-coverage UE andan out-of-coverage UE, based on an out-of-coverage signal discoveryreport by the in-coverage UE according to the present disclosure.

An eNB 1400 transmits an SIB19 to an in-coverage UE-1 1402 (operation1410).

The in-coverage UE-1 1402 receives the SIB19, and performs, when theSIB19 is decoded, a discovery in a resource pool configured by the eNB1400 (operation 1412). An out-of-coverage UE-2 1404 does not receive asignal (e.g. SIB19) from a network (i.e. eNB) or does not decode thesignal. Therefore, the UE-2 1404 may perform a discovery in apre-configured resource pool for an out-of-coverage case (operation1414). For example, the UE-1 1402 may transmit a discovery message inthe resource pool configured by the eNB (operation 1416), and the UE-21404 may transmit a discovery message in the pre-configured resourcepool (operation 1418). In this case, due to a mismatch between thein-coverage resource pool and the out-of-coverage resource pool, theUE-1 1402 may not decode a discovery message of the UE-2 1404 (operation1420). Conversely, the UE-2 1404 may also fail to decode a discoverymessage of the UE-1 1402 (operation 1422).

The eNB 1400 may instruct the UE-1 1402 to become a SynRef UE (operation1430).

The UE-1 1402, which has become the SynRef UE, may transmit an SLSS andan MIB-SL (operation 1432).

The UE-2 1404, which has discovered the SLSS from the UE-1 1402, may besynchronized with the UE-1 1402 and then operate as the SynRef UE(operation 1434).

The UE-2 1404, which operates as the SynRef UE, may transmit an SLSS andan MIB-SL (operation 1436).

The UE-1 1402 may discover a SLSS signal from the UE-2 1404 (operation1438), and report discovering of a signal from an out-of-coverage UE(i.e. the UE-4) to the eNB 1400 (operation 1440).

The eNB 1400, which has received the reporting (operation 1440) from theUE-1 1402, may reconfigure the resource pool for an in-coverage case andtransmission parameters (operation 1442), and may update and transmitthe SIB19 (operation 1444).

The UE-1 1402, which has received the updated SIB19, may decode theSIB19, and update a resource pool configuration as indicated by theSIB19 (operation 1446). The UE-1 1402 may transmit a discovery messagein the updated resource pool (operation 1448). The UE-2 1404 may alsotransmit a discovery message in the out-of-coverage resource pool(operation 1450). The UE-1 1402, which performs discovery in thereconfigured resource pool, may successfully decode a discovery messageof the UE-2 1404 (operation 1452). The UE-2 1404 may also successfullydecode a discovery message of the UE-1 1402 (operation 1454).

FIG. 15 illustrates a configuration of a UE device according to thepresent disclosure.

A UE device 1500 may include: a transceiver 1510 that can transmit orreceive a signal to or from an eNB or another UE; and a controller 1520that controls the transceiver 1510. It goes without saying that thetransceiver 1510 and the controller 1520 may be implemented by onedevice.

The controller 1520 is an element that implements a discovery method ofa UE described in the present disclosure. In other words, it may beunderstood that the above-described all operations of the UE areperformed by the controller 1520.

FIG. 16 illustrates a configuration of an eNB device according to thepresent disclosure.

An eNB device 1600 may include: a transceiver 1610 that cantransmit/receive a signal to/from a UE; and a controller 1620 thatcontrols the transceiver 1610. It goes without saying that thetransceiver 1610 and the controller 1620 may be implemented by onedevice.

The controller 1620 is an element that implements a discovery supportmethod performed in an eNB which has been described in the presentdisclosure. In other words, it may be understood that theabove-described all operations of the eNB are performed by thecontroller 1620.

It should be noted that a description of procedures exemplified Tables 1to 7, and a view illustrating a system configuration, a viewillustrating an example of a configuration of a resource pool, a viewillustrating an example of a method, etc as in FIGS. 3 to 16 are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words,it should not be construed that all descriptions, resource poolarrangement, constituent elements, or steps of operation, shown Tables 1to 7 and FIGS. 3 to 16, are essential elements for implementing thepresent disclosure. Only some elements may implement the presentdisclosure within a scope in which the subject matter of the presentdisclosure is not damaged.

The above described operations may be implemented by providing a memorydevice storing a corresponding program code to the entity of thecommunication system, the function, the base station, or a specificelement of the UE. That is, the entity, the function, or the controllerof the UE carries out the above described operations by reading andexecuting the program code stored in the memory device by means of aprocessor or a CPU.

The entity, the function, the base station, various elements of the UE,modules and the like may be operated by using a hardware circuit, e.g. acomplementary metal oxide semiconductor based logic circuit, firmware,software, and/or a combination of hardware and the firmware and/orsoftware embedded in a machine readable medium. As an example, variouselectric configurations and methods may be carried out by using electriccircuits such as transistors, logic gates, and an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC).

While the present disclosure has been shown and described with referenceto certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore,the scope of the present disclosure should not be defined as beinglimited to the embodiments, but should be defined by the appended claimsand equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of a user equipment (UE) in a wirelesscommunication network, the method comprising: selecting asynchronization reference UE; identifying pre-configuration informationfor transmitting a synchronization signal; and transmitting thesynchronization signal in a subframe selected based on thepre-configuration information, wherein the pre-configuration informationcomprises a list of resource pools for a sidelink communication, andwherein a sidelink synchronization signal identity (SLSSID) of thesynchronization signal is selected to be the same as a SLSSID of theselected synchronization reference UE.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe synchronization signal includes a sidelink synchronization signal(SLSS).
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: measuring a signalfrom the selected synchronization reference UE; and determining whethera reference signal received power (RSRP) of the signal is less than athreshold value, wherein the threshold value is included in thepre-configuration information.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: transmitting system information for sidelink along with thesynchronization signal for the sidelink communication in the subframe.5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system information comprisesinformation indicating whether the UE is inside a coverage or outside ofthe coverage.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-configurationinformation further comprises at least one of a number of times ofretransmission of the synchronization signal, a number of subframebitmaps during one discovery period, or information indicating adiscovery offset.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE existsoutside of a coverage in which a service is provided by a base station.8. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, the UEcomprising: at least one processor configured to control to: select asynchronization reference UE, identify pre-configuration information fortransmitting a synchronization signal, and transmit the synchronizationsignal in a subframe selected based on the pre-configurationinformation; and a transceiver configured to transmit thesynchronization signal, by a control of the at least one processor,wherein the pre-configuration information comprises a list of resourcepools for a sidelink communication, and wherein a sidelinksynchronization signal identity (SLSSID) of the synchronization signalis selected to be the same as a SLSSID of the selected synchronizationreference UE.
 9. The UE of claim 8, wherein the synchronization signalincludes a sidelink synchronization signal (SLSS).
 10. The UE of claim8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: measurea signal from the selected synchronization reference UE, and determinewhether a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the signal is lessthan a threshold value, and wherein the threshold value is included inthe pre-configuration information.
 11. The UE of claim 8, wherein the atleast one processor is further configured to transmit system informationfor sidelink along with the synchronization signal for the sidelinkcommunication in the subframe.
 12. The UE of claim 11, wherein thesystem information comprises information indicating whether the UE isinside a coverage or outside of the coverage.
 13. The UE of claim 8,wherein the pre-configuration information further comprises at least oneof a number of times of retransmission of the synchronization signal, anumber of subframe bitmaps during one discovery period, or informationindicating a discovery offset.
 14. The UE of claim 8, wherein the UEexists outside of a coverage in which a service is provided by a basestation.